Few pieces of Western music have been as beloved as much as Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which first premiered in 1824. Yet, 190 years later we still debate its meaning. It is Beethoven’s only vocal symphony and it is also his last.  It is big and loud and “wildly unstable.”  It projects a sense of calm then turns recklessly loud, and yet makes the audience feel triumphant at its closing. Some believe it was a political statement against European governments. Other